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Gotha UWD (32053)
1:32 Wingnut Wings
Developed from the Gotha G.1 landplane (Wingnut Wings kit 32045 reviewed here) designed by Oskar Ursinus, the 'Ursinus Wasser Doppeldecker' (UWD) was completed in December 1915. Only one was ever built and was given the serial number 120. It underwent trials with the German Navy in January - February 1916 during which time it was modified with balanced ailerons, extra windows, and a 'probiscus' device in the nose for dropping bombs through. Sometime during 1916 (possibly March) UWD 120 was used operationally on a raid on Dover. Little else is know of its use, until it was written off in October 1916.
The low mounted engines and high fuselage was to minimise the effect of engine-out induced yaw, by keeping them as close to the centre line as possible. In turn this meant moving the fuselage up and out of the way. Another unusual feature was that the crew were located in an armoured ‘bathtub’ that formed the forward section of the fuselage.
The kit.
Presented in Wingnut Wings classy silver edged box, the Steve Anderson artwork shows the UWD in flight, possibly near the white cliffs of Dover. The painting shows it being escorted by a Friedrichshafen FF.33 floatplane, so I really hope that Wingnut Wings are going to release one of those at some point.
As with the similar Gotha G.1, the large box is packed full to the brim with parts. It is interesting to note that although both kits appear similar, the only common parts in each box are the sprues A and B, all the others are different. Apart from the fact that the UWD is on floats rather than wheels, it is also powered by different engines. It used the 160 hp Mercedes-Daimler D.III rather than the G.1's 150hp Benz Bz.III engines.
Sprue A.
This large sprue only just fits the dimensions of the box, containing a variety of parts common to both the landplane and seaplane versions of this kit, mostly concerned with fuselage and some of the flying surfaces.
The rear fuselage has been moulded as a three sided section, of the bottom and sides.
The top section fits onto this, and at a stroke eliminates any fuselage seams. Well technically the joins are along the top corners of the fuselage, but they should be a doddle to deal with. Careful gluing with thin cement run along the join by capillary action should mean virtually no/almost no clean up will be required. Full marks to Wingnut Wings for this one, flat sided fuselages are always a pain to eliminate the seams from if they are done in the conventional manner.
Some very fine items are also included, such as pilots seat, framework, pipework, the throttles, instrument panel, and gun type camera.
Construction starts with the cockpit, which is where many of these items will end up.
Sprue B.
Here we have all four main wing panels, and the horizontal tailplane. Again all is faultlessly moulded with very fine scalloped trailing edges, and delicate sagged fabric effect. Strut mounting holes are clearly defined, as are some small holes showing where to drill for rigging attachment points. (The struts themselves are cleverly moulded with ends that will only fit into the holes they are destined for). The lower wings have large tabs on them that fit to the large single center section from Sprue A, and automatically set them at the correct dihederal
Sprue C.
The smallest, containing the clear parts for the windows and windscreen. A new approach to packing has these inside a heat sealed plastic bag, and inside that they are protected by a wrap around of a'cling film' type sheet. All parts are beautifully thin and clear.
Sprue D.
There are two of these, holding the floats, cowling parts, struts, and other duplicated parts. The floats are moulded as a single unit of three sides, with a separate top pice, in the same way as the rear fuselage has been done. Again this makes construction a simple task and practically eliminates any joining seams.
What is really apparent is the sheer size of these floats. They are enormous. I had a recently completed WnW Sopwith Camel nearby when doing the photos, and couldn't resist showing a comparison.
Sprue E.
Again there are two of these sprues provided, for the Daimler-Mercedes D.III engines. These are different to those in the Gotha G.1 kit, which has Benz Bz.III engines. I may have mention in previous reviews that I often start building these kits with the engines. They are so beautifully moulded and everything fits precisely, so you quite quickly have a little jewel of an engine ready for fitment later in the build.
Note that the magnetos are not fitted until the engines are in place, as there are new ones with long control rods attached (G33 &G34) to reach up to the top wing.
The only thing you may want to add is some ignition wiring from fine fuse wire. As this is an engine used by many aircraft, the same sprue appears in many of Wingnut Wings kits. This means that than half of the parts are not needed, including a set of four beautiful propellers that can go into the spares box.
Sprue G.
More floatplane specific parts, notably the forward fuselage 'pod' and a lot of struttery. There are various windows and openings in the 'pod' that make it quite different to that of the Gotha G.1. Page 21 of the instructions notes the parts to use or omit if making Option A1, in the 'as delivered status. It also states that you will need to fill in two of the nose windows, so a decision needs to made early on. The mouldings are absolutely beautiful, with sharply defined detail, great delicacy/finesse with some very fine parts, free of flash or sink marks, and no distortion or warpage. I showed them to a fellow modeller who was absolutely amazed, and speculated at how much work goes into designing and producing mouldings of this quality.
Etch.
For once this is quite small. The model only requires a lap belt for the pilot, and a cooling jacket for the LMG 14 Parabellum. A nice touch is a little brass plaque to display with the finished model.
Instructions.
If you have never seen a set of Wingnut Wings assembly instructions, then these will be a real treat. Printed on twenty four pages of heavy high gloss paper, it is as much a work of reference as it is an instruction booklet. The CAD drawings of assembly stages are interspersed with period photographs (thirty seven in all) of actual machines and their details. On thing I particularly like is the CAD drawings of completed sub-assemblies in full colour, as these are a great help in understanding how everything goes together.
Unusually the whole biplane wing unit complete with floats, is built as single unit to which the fuselage is attached.
Marking Options.
Just one, as only one was ever built, but there are small variation if you wish. By leaving off the 'probiscus' filling in some of the nose windows, and using the unbalanced ailerons, you can build it as version A1. This is shown in the instructions, and represents the machine as it was delivered for trials. Version A2 is in the same colour scheme, and represents the aircraft as used in service.
A. Gotha UWD 120, See Flieger Abteilung 1, March 1916.
Decals.
Printed by Cartograf, the sheet is dominated by the large 'cross pattée' markings, with dozens of smaller details for things like stencils and instrument faces. There are around twenty for the cockpit alone, and another forty four to go on the twenty two 10kg Carbonit bombs stored in the nose.
The fine detail is beautifully printed and readable through a magnifying glass, and given that the cockpit area is highly visible on the finished model, it should all look fabulous.
Conclusion.
It must have made sense to produce this model alongside the Gotha G.1, but don't make the mistake of thinking that the only difference is that one comes with wheels, and the other with floats. This is a Wingnut Wings kit, so no corners will have been cut. If some parts differed between aircraft, then you get new parts on the sprue. So much so that only two of the eight sprues are common to both kits.
Personally I really like this aircraft, it has all the things I like about early aviation. It was built at a time when ideas were being tried out,and 'The Rule Book' didn't really exist. Only now, 100 years later, do we find it strange looking, because we know what a conventional aircraft should look like.
It will build into a large model, and is certain to provoke questions from anyone seeing it. It is not really one for the beginner, but if you have built any of Wingnut Wings two seater kits then this one should not give you any problems. It is just bigger, not any more complicated.
Highly Recommended.
Review sample courtesy of

Gotha G.1 (32045)
1:32 Wingnut Wings
Well I don’t think many of us saw this one coming, or even knew anything about the actual aeroplane. What a fascinating and yet strange looking contraption it is, with low mounted engines and high fuselage. The reason for this layout was to minimise the effect of engine-out induced yaw by keeping them as close to the centre line as possible. In turn this meant moving the fuselage up and out of the way. Another unusual feature was that the crew were located in an armoured ‘bathtub’ that formed the forward section of the fuselage.
Three batches of six G.1’s were manufactured, the first six fitted with the 150 hp Benz Bz III engines as supplied in this kit. The first production aircraft arrived on the western front in the latter half of 1915. Little is known about its service history, but as was often the case in the Great War, it was one of those aircraft that was obsolete almost as soon as it entered service.
One example was built as a seaplane, the 'UWD' which has also been kitted by Wingnut Wings and is Reviewed here.
The kit.
Packed in Wingnut Wings larger sized box, the lovely painting by Steve Anderson shows a couple of G.1's being defended by an Eindekker against an attacking RFC DH2. The artwork cleverly shows a close up of the main body of a G.1, whilst showing a full view of another in the near distance.
Lifting the lid reveals eight individually bagged sprues, with barely any space left for anything else. Two of them are duplicated, Sprue E for the engines, and Sprue D for wheels, struts etc. All are moulded in the familiar neutral grey plastic with pin sharp detail, flawless surface finish, and no sink marks or other moulding flaws.
Also included is a large decal sheet and a small brass etched sheet, along with Wingnut Wings superb instruction manual. Nothing else gives you that sense of anticipation and delight that opening a Wingnut Wings kit does, and as always this one delivers in full.
Time to take a look.
Sprue A.
This large sprue only just fits the dimensions of the box, containing a variety of parts common to both the landplane and seaplane versions of this kit, mostly concerned with fuselage and some of the flying surfaces.
The rear fuselage has been moulded as a three sided section, of the bottom and sides. All the framework is in there, along with some ejector pin marks, but none of this will be seen once assembled.
The top section fits onto this, and at a stroke eliminates any fuselage seams. Well technically the joins are along the top corners of the fuselage, but they should be a doddle to deal with. Careful gluing with thin cement run along the join by capillary action should mean virtually no/almost no clean up will be required. Full marks to Wingnut Wings for this one, flat sided fuselages are always a pain to eliminate the seams from if they are done in the conventional manner.
Some very fine items are also included, such as pilots seat, framework, pipework, the throttles, instrument panel, and gun type camera.
Construction starts with the cockpit, which is where many of these items will end up. A lot of detail is provided and I have counted nineteen little instrument and placard decals to be placed to enhance all of this, and that is not counting the sixteen decals to place on the optional internal bomb load.
Sprue B.
Here we have all four main wing panels, and the horizontal tailplane. Again all is faultlessly moulded with very fine scalloped trailing edges, and delicate sagged fabric effect. Strut mounting holes are clearly defined, as are some small holes showing where to drill for rigging attachment points.
The struts themselves are cleverly moulded with ends that will only fit into the holes they are destined for). The lower wings have large tabs on them that fit to the large single center section from Sprue A, and automatically set them at the correct dihederal
Sprue C.
The smallest one in the box, in clear plastic this holds the single windshield. It comes wrapped in a small sheet of plastic, itself contained in small plastic bag, so is well protected.
Sprue D.
Throughout the build there are many items that are required in duplicate or multiple times, such as wheels and struts. Sensibly all these parts are collected together on one sprue that has half the number required. It is then simple to provide two identical sprues to cover the full amount of items needed.
There are bombs, guns, cowling parts, tail fins & rudder, a choice of two different styles of wheels, and parts for a tail support trestle. All the mouldings are of the same high quality expected of Wingnut Wings. The two 'D' sprues are unique to this kit and not shared with similar looking UWD floatplane.
Sprue E.
Again there are two of these supplied for the Benz Bz.III engines. These are my favourite part of any Wingnut Wings kit and I often go out of sequence and start my builds with them, as they are such a pleasure. The mouldings are superb, with nut and bolt details worked out to perfection. If making it up with all the cowling panels glued in place, there is nothing more that you need add.
But if you want to display one or both of the engines with the cowlings off, you may want to add some ignition wiring. This goes from the magnetos to a 'sleeve' channel along each side of the cylinder bank. Then individual lengths come out along the sleeve to each spark plug.
The instructions actually have photographs from the original engine manual showing both sides, where the wiring is very well shown.
Th rest of the sprue contains gun rings and propellers that are not required and can go straight into the spares box.
Sprue F.
Another large one that fills the box. Again this is unique to the G.1 and not shared with the UWD floatplane kit, as you might have expected.
The forward fuselage 'pods' on the two types had significant differences, so in their usual uncompromising way Wingnut Wings have made completely different mouldings for the two kits.
Etch.
There are various permutations of LMG/14 Parabellum and LMG/08 Spandau machine guns fitted to the five marking options, so the etched fret contains jackets for all three, along with the sights. A set of seat belts are provided for the pilot, as the only crew member given them.
A nice touch is the little brass plate with the Wingnut Wings logo and 'Gotha G.1' etched in relief. These look quite good if the lettering is painted with enamel as you don't have to be very precise with the edges. After a couple of hours just go lightly over it with a cotton bud soaked in white spirit, and clean off any excess. Hey presto! you have a neat little brass plaque to place by your finished model.
Instructions.
If you have never seen a set of Wingnut Wings assembly instructions, then these will be a real treat. Printed on twenty eight pages of heavy high gloss paper, it is as much a work of reference as it is an instruction booklet. The CAD drawings of assembly stages are interspersed with period photographs (thirty seven in all) of actual machines and their details. On thing I particularly like is the CAD drawings of completed sub-assemblies in full colour, as these are a great help in understanding how everything goes together.
As mentioned earlier, alternative parts are provided for the guns (Parabellum, Spandau, Becker), early or late wheels, 20kg or 50 kg Carbonit bombs, Reschke or Integral propellers, different arrangement of cockpit coamings, dual or single core radiators, as well as several minor details. Construction is unusual, with the biplane wings & engines being built as complete unit, and then joined to the completed fuselage. A full rigging diagram is provided, with front and rear three-quarter views distinguishing between bracing wires and control wires.
Marking Options.
Markings are provided for five individual airframes, all in the same basic field grey with light grey forward fuselage pod. Choices cover machines from the start of the G.1's service in July 1915 up until it's last use in September 1916. Option A actually has 2 variations depending upon whether you fit the truly odd looking 'Bomb dropping cage' that it was fitted with for part of its career.
A. Gotha G.1 10/15, Fliegerersatz Abteilung 7 Sonderstaffel S.1, July to late 1915.
B. Gotha G.1 11/15, Fliegerersatz Abteilung 7 Sonderstaffel S.1, late 1915 to early 1916.
C. Gotha G.1 13/15, Feld Fleigerabtelung 37, September 1915
D. Gotha G.1 41/15, Kagol 1, late 1915
E. Gotha G.1 41/15 "Feodora", Feld Fleigerabtelung 37, September 1916?
Decals
Printed by Cartograf, all are in perfect register with good colours and perfect register. The majority of the sheet is covered with various Iron Cross and serial number markings.
There are however a large number of small details, beautifully printed and readable under a magnifying glass.
Conclusion
As you may have gathered, Wingnut Wings have also released a kit of the Floatplane version, the UWD, and only Sprues A and B are common to both kits.
Wingnut Wings have set something of a trend for issuing unusual and unexpected models alongside their more mainstream releases of Fokker, Albatros and Sopwith types. The Gotha G.1 must surely be the most unusual of the lot, like something Heath Robinson might have designed. For me this is a large part of the interest I have in Great War aviation, where design rules were not yet very firmly set and the only way to try out new ideas was to build them. The G.1 looks so odd to modern eyes because we now have a fixed idea of what a 'correct' aeroplane should look like. Perhaps only the Handley Page Heyford came close in replicating this layout, but even that had the engines on the top wing in a more conventional fashion.
Full Marks to Wingnut Wings for producing such a wonderful model of this strange looking aircraft. It is well up to their world class standard, and I am sure will be a delight to build, if a little more involved than a single engined biplane. Get one to go with your Taube, Albatros B.II, and Eindekkers!
Highly recommended.
Review sample courtesy of

My first foray into 1:32 after a long time. I don´t plan to build more 1:32 unless I get Revell's Bf 109G-6 and decals to build it as Erich Hartmann's all white plane while he was part of JG 53.
The aircraft here is the second run of Revell's 1:32 Fw 190, the A-8/R11 nightfighter. The antennas were difficult to add because they didn´t want to stick to their support struts. At some point after the build the right hand mounting peg for the right wheel got damaged and the wheel slanted to one side. It was "fixed" by applying quite a bit of epoxy glue and letting it to harden during the night.
The photos were taken with backlighting to give the aircraft a better nightfighter feel.

Hi all
There are a number of 'firsts' here:
Posting to Ready for Inspection
Model in more than 20 years
1:32 scale model
Attempt at airbrushing
Attempt at weathering
This is a straight OOB build; it was difficult enough without adding more firsts. The kit wasn't difficult but I need to think about the order that I do the construction and painting.
I have learnt a lot from this project that I will be able to use in my future builds.
Thanks for looking.
Graeme

Im saving up money for model kits rn and I am constantly thinking about the HK Models 1:32 Lancaster, which is not on my list yet, what are your thoughts on the kit and if you have made it by any chance what did you think of the build? Thanks in advance.
Levi

Hi !
Building a 1/32 scale Luftwaffe diorama with a large hanger.
I'm about to paint the hanger but need some colour references.
I can se in a lot of ww2 pictures the hangers and some service buildings är painted in camo patterns, but of course, I can't se what colors.
Some help to get color reference would be great !
Regards
Stefan from Sweden

Augusta Westland Lynx Mk.8
Revell 1/32
History
The initial design, then known as the Westland WG.13, was started in the mid-1960s as a replacement for the Westland Scout and Wasp, and a more advanced alternative to the UH-1 Iroquois. The design was to be powered by a pair of Bristol Siddeley BS.360 turboshaft engines. As part of the Anglo-French helicopter agreement signed in February 1967, French company Sud Aviation (later Aérospatiale) had a 30 per cent share of production work, Westland performing the remainder. It was intended that France would procure the Lynx for its Navy and a heavily modified armed reconnaissance variant for the French Army, with the United Kingdom in return buying Aérospatiale Gazelle and Puma for its armed forces.
The initial naval variant of the Lynx, known as the Lynx HAS.2 in British service, or Lynx Mk.2(FN) in French service, differed from the Lynx AH.1 in being equipped with a tricycle undercarriage and a deck restraint system, folding main rotor blades, an emergency flotation system and a nose-mounted radar. An improved Lynx for the Royal Navy, the Lynx HAS.3, had Gem 42-1 Mark 204 engines, an uprated transmission, a new flotation system and an Orange Crop ESM system. The Lynx HAS.3 also received various other updates in service. A similar upgrade to the French Lynx was known as the Lynx Mk.4(FN).
In the early 1990s, Westland incorporated some of the technology from the Naval Lynx-3 design into a less-radical Super Lynx. This featured BERP rotor blades, the Westland 30-derived tail rotor, Gem 42 engines, a new under-nose 360-degree radar installation and an optional nose-mounted electro-optical sensor turret. Royal Navy Lynx HAS.3s upgraded to Super Lynx standard were known in service as the Lynx HMA.8, and several export customers ordered new-build or upgraded Super Lynxes. From the 1990s onwards, Westland began offering the Super Lynx 200, which was equipped with LHTEC CTS800 engines, and the Super Lynx 300, which also had a new cockpit and avionics derived from the Agusta Westland EH101. Both of these models have achieved several export sales. In 2002, Flight International reported that more than 40 variants of the Lynx were in service, numbering almost 400 aircraft having been built for various customers
The Model
The original RN Lynx from Revell was released back in 2013 and it’s then them until the aircraft’s retirement to release the latest and final version. Although this is pretty much a re-box of the original Mk3 it does come with all the upgrades that the Mk8 was known for, namely the ugly nose FLIR on the modified nose panel, and under fuselage radome. It does also come with a different tail boom with separate fin allowing the possibility of posing the fin folded. The box the kit comes in is adorned with a nice painting of a Lynx in flight, unfortunately it is an end opening box, therefore and floppy as ever, so no shoving it in the stash with any more than one other kit on it. Inside there are fourteen sprues of grey styrene, two of clear and a largish decal sheet. The mouldings have stood up well and there is no sign of flash or other imperfections, but quite a few moulding pips. The internal details are very nicely moulded and includes the sound proofing and tie downs on the inside of the cabin, although it could be doing with being a little bit baggier.
Construction begins with drilling out the requisite holes in the cabin floor before added the cockpit centre console frame, instrument panel pedestal and panel, which appears to be correct for the type. The rudder pedals, cyclic and collective levers for both pilots are then glued into position, followed by the centre console control panels. Each of the pilots seats are made up from five parts with the seatbelts moulded into the backrest and seat squab. Once assembled the seats are glued into position along with the cabin rear bulkhead, sidewalls and rear bench seat with front support frame. The middle set of six seats might look ok from a distance but they bear little resemblance to the real things as the end frames are solid, whereas you’d see the actual framework on the real items. There is a group of electronic black boxes fitted behind the pilots seat consisting of seven parts and the middle seat assembly is fitted at the same time. The roof soundproofing is fitted with a hand hold before being glued into position. Before the fuselage halves are closed up the sections are fitted either edge of the side doors and more holes are required to be drilled out.
The engine exhaust plate is fitted with two, tow piece exhausts while the main rotor gearbox, which is very nicely represented is fitted with a drive pin and cap, so that, should you wish, the rotors can be turned once fitted. The cabin and main rotor gearbox assembly are then sandwiched between the fuselage halves as is the exhaust plate. The roof panel and engine covers are then glued into place, followed by the exhaust shrouds and several access panels. The underside of the fuselage is also attached at this point as are the underside tail panel and what looks like a doppler panel, but could be for the radio altimeter and orange crop panels. The intake grilles are unfortunately represented by clear parts, not mesh as per the rear aircraft. Personally, unless an aftermarket company can reproduce them the clear parts could make for good moulds for the modeller to produce their own mesh grilles.
The underside is fitted with several more panels and aerials before work begins on the nose section. the nose comprises of five parts before the five piece FLIR unit is attached. The completed assembly is then glued to the fuselage. The thwo piece tail cone is fitted with the end bulkhead which includes the hinge and locking points, as does the two piece tail fin. If you were to pose the fin folded you will need to add some internal detail to both, including the tail rotor transitional gearbox in the fin. The kit does come with the locking handle for the fin as well, so it looks like Revell nearly decided to give the folding fin option in the kit, but decided to do it properly. The completed tail cone/fin is then glued to the fuselage, along with the side doors and the slides, windscreen and pilots doors, as well as smaller items such as the windscreen wipers and various blade aerials.
The main undercarriage legs each comprise to halves for each oleo, two parts to the scissor links and two halves for each wheel. The completed undercarriage legs are then sandwiched between two halves of each sponson interior before the two part sponson itself is attached. The nose wheel oleo is also in two halves and fitted with a two piece scissor link, plus two, tow piece wheels. With all the undercarriage assembled they are glued into their respective positions, along with the large anti IR beacon under the front end of the tailcone, a large blade aerial on the port side near the beacon and a number of other items which this reviewer hasn’t a clue what they are. The SACRU hook is then attached, along with four strengthening straps and the hold down harpoon unit. The tail rotor is a single piece moulding to which the inner hub and outer control rods are attached before being fitted to the port side of the fin, while on the starboard side the horizontal stabiliser is fitted. Another large blade aerial is fitted where the sonar hole used to be while just aft and to starboard there is a retractable lamp fitted.
The build now concentrates on to the weaponry. The modeller has the option to fit a 50 cal M2 heavy machine gun in the port doorway. This assembly is made up from no less than twenty two parts all told, and really looks the business, with the caveat that the cooling holes over the barrel could be better represented. The other options to add weapons to the Lynx include two Stingray torpedoes each from four parts or two Sea Skua anti shipping missiles, each consisting of eight parts. The launchers are made up from ten parts and if you’re not going to fir the gun you will need two launchers. Aside from the weapons, the kit also includes the rescue hoist consisting of ten parts and is fitted to the starboard side doorway. The HF aerial stays are fitted to the underside of the tail cone and fitted with a length of wire of the modeller’s choice. The last major assembly is the main rotor. The head is made up from thirteen parts, before the rotor blades are attached and the whole assembly fit to the main rotor gearbox finishing the build.
Decals
The single large decal sheet provides a complete stencil set for one aircraft all the marking specific to each option. The decals are very nicely produced with great colour density, in register and nicely opaque. The markings provided are for the following:-
Lynx Mk8, 207 Flight, 815 Naval Air Squadron, HMS Iron Duke, March 2016
Lynx Mk8, 215 Flight, 815 Naval Air Squadron, HMS Monmouth, March 2012
Conclusion
It’s very nice to see this kit re-released with the new parts to build the final version of this venerable helicopter, and it’s still a fabulous looking kit. Not being overly complex it shouldn’t take too much to make a good looking model out of it. I have heard there may be fit problems in some areas, but with a bit of care and patience I’m sure they won’t be too bad. It will certainly be an impressive model for any collection. There is certainly plenty of scope for super detailing if that is your wish. If you wish to pose your Lynx with the blades folded there si an aftermarket set that will help you with that.
or

I-153 Winter Version
ICM 1:32
The Polikarpov I-153 was the last of Nikolai Polikarpov's biplane fighter aircraft to enter service and despite being the most advanced entry in the series was already obsolete when it first entered service in 1939.
The I-153 was developed as a result of a misreading of the results of the aerial combat during the Spanish Civil War. In July 1937 a meeting chaired by Stalin concluded that the Fiat CR.32 biplane was superior to the Polikarpov I-16 monoplane. The nimble Fiat fighter had achieved impressive results against the Soviet fighter, but partly because the I-16 pilots had attempted to dogfight rather than use their superior speed to break off combat. The successful introduction of the Bf 109 was ignored, and instead of focusing on producing a superior monoplane the Soviet authorities decided to work on an improved biplane.
The new aircraft needed to maintain the manoeuvrability of the I-15 and I-152 while also increasing in speed. This presented Polikarpov with a problem, for he had already argued that any increase in speed came at the cost of an increase in weight (from the heavier more powerful engine and stronger fuselage needed to support it). The heavier aircraft would then be less manoeuvrable.
Work on the I-153 was officially approved on 11 October 1937. Polikarpov's main aim was to reduce drag and weight in an attempt to compensate for the weight of a heavier engine. He did this in two main ways - first by introducing a retractable undercarriage, and second by returning to the 'gull wing' configuration of the I-15, in which the upper wing was linked to the fuselage by diagonal sections, eliminating its central section. This had worked on the I-15, but had been unpopular with some pilots and higher authorities, and had been removed from the I-152. As a result that aircraft had been less manoeuvrable than its precursor. The 'gull wing' on the I-152 was an improved version of that on the I-15, with a bigger gap between the wing roots, which improved the pilot's forward view when landing and taking off.
The fuselage and wings of the I-153 were similar to those of the I-15 and I-152, with a steel tube framework, covered by metal at the front of the fuselage and fabric elsewhere. The manually operated retractable undercarriage rotated through 90 degrees before folding backwards into the fuselage. The first prototype was powered by a 750hp M-25V engine. Its maiden flight is variously reported as having taken place in May or August 1938, with A.I. Zhukov at the controls. Tests that began on 27 September are variously described as state acceptance or factory trials. These tests weren't entirely satisfactory and production was delayed while some of the problems were solved.
In June-August 1939 state acceptance trials were conducted using an I-153 powered by the new Shvetsov M-62 engine, a version of the M-25V with a two-stage supercharger. These trials were not officially concluded until January 1941, long after the type had been superseded. Next in line was a version powered by the 900hp M-63, and this version passed its trials on 30 September 1939. Only a handful of aircraft were produced with the M-25 engine. The 800hp M-62 was used in the largest number of aircraft, around 3,018 in total. The 1,100hp (at take-off) M-63 was used in 409 aircraft. A total of 3,437 I-153s were produced, beginning in 1938. 1,011 aircraft had been completed by the end of 1939, and a massive 2,362 were built in 1940, at a time when the Soviet Union desperately needed more modern monoplanes. Production came to an end early in 1941 and only 64 aircraft were completed that year.
The standard I-153 was armed with four ShKAS machine guns. These replaced the PV-1 guns used on the I-15 and I-152, and had a much higher rate of fire (1,800 compared to 750 rounds per minute) as well as being much lighter. The four under wing bomb racks could carry up to 441lb of bombs.
The Model
Having released a wheeled version of the I-153, it’s now the turn of the sky fitted winter version. Contained in a sturdy box the three large sprues of grey plastic are pretty well protected in their single plastic bag, with the clear parts in a separate bag, there is also a largish decal sheet. All the parts are superbly moulded, with no sign of flash or other imperfections and only a few noticeable moulding pips. There are a few swirl marks in the plastic, but nothing to worry about and will easily be covered when the kit is primed and painted. Since the aircraft was mostly wood there are very few panel lines, where fabric was used in the construction, the kit shows the underlying structure, but in a nicely restrained way.
Construction begins with the lower wing and the two upper sections being attached to the single piece lower section, after which there are two insets that fit into the main undercarriage bay roof. The cockpit is assembled next, and is a very nicely detailed area. The two seat supports are attached to the seat back and glued to the cockpit floor, followed by the seat base. The two piece control column is glued into place along with its separate control rod and rudder pedals. The tubular framework of the cockpit is quite delicate, and care should be taken when removing from the sprues and assembling. Side tubular structures are fitted with ancillary instruments, levers, radio controls, throttle lever and flare pistol. The side sections are then glued to the front and rear sections. The whole assembly is then attached to the cockpit floor assembly and the whole lot glued to the lower wing assembly.The fuselage sides are then detailed with an oxygen bottle, and side access doors before being glued together. The fuselage is then slid over the cockpit structure and glued to the lower wing.
The horizontal tailplanes, elevators and rudder all come in two halves. When glued together they are attached to the rear fuselage. The upper wing comes as single piece upper section and two piece lower sections. Once joined, the assembly is attached to the forward fuselage and the two interplane struts glued into position. The engine is quite a simple affair, being moulded in two halves, to which the valve rods are attached, followed by the exhausts. The cooling shutter ring is then fitted to the inside of the nose cowling, followed by the engine assembly, rear bulkhead, and separate exhaust stubs and five piece propeller.
The engine/nose cowling assembly is then attached to the front fuselage, followed by the two side panels, top panel, windshield, gunsight and oil cooler duct. Each of the main undercarriage legs are made from three parts, But instead of the wheels, the legs are fitted with skis and their fixtures, comprising five parts each ski, once assembled they are glued into their respective positions. The tailplane struts are then added, along with the undercarriage bay doors and single piece tail skid. You then have the option of adding wither eight rockets, each of three pieces, two small bombs, also three parts or four larger bombs also three parts. The bombs have separate crutches while the rockets are fitted to rails. Then it’s just a bit of very light rigging and the model is done.
Decals
The decal sheet is printed by ICM themselves. The decals are quite glossy, well printed, in register and nicely opaque, particularly useful for the large white numbers. There are four decal options, the four aircraft being:-
I-153, Red Army Air Force, 1940, in overall Aluminum, 1940
I-153, Red Army Air Force, 1940, in overall Aluminum, March 1940
I-153 aircraft VH-101 of the Finnish Air Force, 1940, in Field Green over Light blue undersides.
I-153 aircraft IT-15 of the Finnish Air Force, 1940, in Field Green over flat black upper sides of the wings and fuselage sides and Light blue undersides.
Conclusion
As with the I-16, this is a very cute and recognisable little aeroplane. The biplane design, whilst out of date, makes this aircraft look a nicer design then the I-16. It’s certainly great that ICM are catering to those of us who like the larger scales and there is still plenty that could be done with the interior should you wish to go to town on it. Nice to now have the option of the ski equipped version.
Review sample courtesy of

Cessna O-2A Skymaster
Roden 1:32
Cessna O-2A Skymaster In the early 1960s, the Cessna aircraft company built a small commercial aircraft, the Model 337. Compared with similar aircraft of the same class, it had an unusual layout: a tractor engine in front, and a pusher in the rear. Instead of the classic fuselage layout, two booms extended backwards from the wing, which were connected by the horizontal tail assembly. The aircraft could carry two crew members, and four passengers or up to 450 kg of payload. It was quite successful commercially, but Cessna also hoped to find an outlet in a military role. In 1967 a military version of the machine appeared, the O-2A Skymaster. With the start of the Vietnam War, the US Air Force began to actively employ light aircraft as scouts, for fire direction or lightweight communications. One of the most widely used was the O-1 Bird Dog, but it was not always able to perform certain military tasks, such as controlling targeting for other planes. The O-2 was more suited to this type of task and, therefore, was soon involved in missions of this kind in the Vietnam conflict. Also, the O-2 could be used as a light strike plane, like its predecessor the O-1. For this, pods of unguided rockets and other light weapons could be hung under the wing of the aircraft. Some machines, designated O-2B, carried out 'psychological warfare missions - they were fitted with speakerphones broadcasting calls to the population to stop the war, but this exercise was not successful. Another important application for the O-2 was the rescue of pilots whose planes had been downed in an area of operations. The O-2 could take off from the shortest airstrips and land in the most unsuitable places for this purpose. Many US Air Force pilots had this machine to thank for their rescue. Series production continued until 1970, during which time at least 532 aircraft were produced. The end of their active military career in the US Air Force coincided with the end of hostilities in Vietnam, but in the US they were used long afterwards by the Air Force for patrol or liaison tasks, and were eventually decommissioned due to age and obsolescence. Despite this, this aircraft is still very popular among private owners. And many former military machines are still operated under civil registration or take part in numerous vintage airshows.
The Model
The kit comes in a rather large box with an artist’s impression of an armed O-2 in-flight. Opening the box reveals ten sprues of grey styrene, and one of clear, there is also quite a large decal sheet. Surprisingly for a new kit there is quite a lot of flash visible and wave fronts on some of the parts. That said the details are finely done and there is a fair amount of detail included in the kit. While it looks great on the sprues, I’ve read that while the accuracy is fairly close, there are problems encountered during the build, particularly with warped fuselage halves and an awkward roof fitting. So while I will go through the build process, be aware that there will be a fair bit of work required to get everything to fit correctly. You should also note that there are no spinners included, so some of the aftermarket deals may not be suitable for aircraft that were fitted with spinners.
The build begins with the assembly of the two, six piece propellers, horizontal tail unit with separate elevator, four piece pylons which includes the nicely produced crutch pads, and two, four piece rocket launchers and two seven piece gun pods. The tail booms are assembled next, each from two halves and with separate rudders and anti collision light on the port fin. The engine exhausts are also assembled at this point and put to one side. The engines themselves are complex little models in their own right, each engine consisting of no less than 50 parts. The rear engine frame and nose engine compartment/nose gear bay are also assembled, as is the seven piece nose landing gear. The seven piece front engine bay is fitted with the nose wheel assembly, followed by the engine assembly and the pair of exhaust pipe assemblies. The rear engine frame is then fitted with its engine and the simpler exhaust parts. The completed front engine assembly is then the attached to the firewall and under pan.
Work then begins with the the forward avionics bay that sits between the engine bay and the cockpit, this consists of four shelves on which the various radios and other avionic boxes are fitted. The instrument panel is then assembled, consisting of the panel, coaming, four rudder pedals, centre pedestal and control yolks with separate shafts. The four seats are then built up, two from five parts and two from four parts, before being glued into position on the cabin floor. The three piece doors are then assembled and the windows and viewing ports added to the fuselage sides. Now while the interior is quite nicely done, there is plenty of scope for the modeller to add further detail, including the quilted sound proofing, circuit breaker panel on the captain’s side of the cockpit, and seat belts. Check you r references when using aftermarket deals as some O-2’s had the rear seats removed and the co-pilots seat moved aft so that a litter could be fitted for medevac purposes.
If building out of the box the cabin floor is glued to one half of the fuselage, along with the engine assemblies and instrument panels and the three piece aft engine intake glued into position. The wing comes as three main parts with the upper section being a single piece moulding, not forgetting to open up the holes required for the pylons should you be using them as not all O-2’s were armed. The separate flaps can be posed in either extended or stowed positions and there is a skylight fitted above the cockpit area. The wingtips are also separate allowing of later versions to be released. The main landing gear comprises of a single piece strut and a pair of three piece wheels. With the fuselage all assembled, which will require a significant amount of weight in the forward area, wherever you can squeeze it in, the wing is glued into place along with the two booms and horizontal stabiliser. Then the main undercarriage assembly is add as are the pylons, weapons pods, nose bay doors, Rad Alt panel, and main gear doors. Finally the upper wing is festooned with a multitude of aerials and the two propellers attached.
Decals
The decals are really rather a disappointment, while they are correct colour and style, they are not in register and there are numerous spelling mistakes. Also the aircraft using the serial number is number 67-00109 is an imposter as that number was assigned to an F-111A. There are markings for three aircraft on the sheet, these being:-
Cessna O-2A Skymaster “Don’t’ Shoot”, Vietnam, 1967 (No unit or squadron information provided). Scheme composed of overall Aircraft Gray with Snoopy nose art on cowl and White upper wing panels carrying “Don’t Shoot” in large letters.
Cessna O-2A Skymaster, Unknown Unit, Vietnam, 1971. Scheme composed of overall Black with Ghost nose art on cowl and “THE FAC” in large white letters on upper wing.
Cessna O-2A Skymaster, Unknown Unit, Vietnam, 1970. Scheme composed of interlocking swirls of Tan, Dark Green, and Medium Green with Light Gray undersides.
Conclusion
Over all it’s great to see this aircraft being released in 1/32, yes it is more of a short run release that will require a little more work than say something from Tamiya, but it will look great once built. I have heard reports that some fuselages are warped so please check before starting the build. I am disappointed with the amount of flash as there is no way a newly released kit should suffer from this, and the wave fronts can be overcome by heating the moulds better.
Review sample courtesy of

Started on the 9th of December... Every year I try to do a 'clear the bench' build over Christmas, this year it was this one:
Not sure why folks seem to shy-away from the Trumpy 109E kits almost all the completed ones that I have seen are from the Eduard and Dragon kits. Ahh well... I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of this one. Perfect fit everywhere, lots of detail, excellent etch, decals and phenomenal clear parts. (not so excellent rubber tyres tho'). For a change I broke-out my enamels for the 74/75/76/04 colours, all of which I mixed using my preferred Mk.I eyeball method. Highly recommend this to anyone contemplating a 1:32 build and perhaps a wee bit put-off by the excessive parts-count and cost of some of the 'uber kits' around just now - I got this off a well-known on-line auction site from a Chinese based seller for just £16.50 !!!!! (that's as good as giving it away) even down here to NZ the postage was just ten-quid.
So here t'is all done only addition is the kit specific Eduard Zoom set which includes the harness too; And I have to admit that I'm very pleased with it. Please feel free to hurl any criticism, ask any questions or make any comment at all. Thanks for taking the time to look and Happy 2019 to all here.
Ian.

USN Deck crew
Videoaviation 1:32
The latest releases from Videoaviation.com are these sets of figures and equipment. Two sets are of US Navy, one with modern figures and a trolley filled with metal cases, the other from the Vietnam era with two figures and a trolley filled with what look like bomb fuses. The sets are manufactured in the standard creamy beige resin which is really well moulded and detailed.
[187232] US Navy Deck Crew Maintenance – This set contains two figures, one kneeling, one standing, both with separate arms, heads and a pouch for the kneeling man. The kneeling figure also has a speedy drive for opening up a panel. The set also includes a twelve piece Aero 12C trolley which includes two small and three large metal boxes as load.
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[187532] US Navy Deck Crew Vietnam – This set contains two figures, both standing, one with both arms and head separate, who is meant to be holding a fuse in his hands and one with just one separate arm and separate head. The set also includes a nine piece trolley which includes two pallets of bomb fuses as a load. The chap with the fuse is meant to be a red shirt ordnance man, while the other is a green shirt, maintenance man.
Unfortunately each of the sets the instructions don’t come with colour photographs of the crewmen and equipment, but show the completed items and the callouts are written down with pointers to the appropriate items of clothing and equipment parts.
Conclusion
Videoaviation continue to release great sets to add life to your large scale dioramas, are superb. The added crews and equipment will be especially useful, just add your model with a bomb trolley, and bombs with their fuses removed for that great looking diorama.
Review sample courtesy of

Löök Resin Instrument Panels & Seatbelts – December 2018
Eduard 1:32
Continuing their line in the LOOK series of instrument panels, Eduard have released two more sets. These are for the Tamiya Spitfire Mk.IX Late, and Messerschmitt Bf 109G-6, both in 1:32 scale. As with the previously released sets, the modeller is provided, in these cases with the main instrument panel. Each set also includes a sheet of etched steel for the seat belts. The panels have all the correct markings and placards painted on them and the faces of each instrument is glazed, making them look very realistic, particularly with a bit of weathering to get away from that newly built look.
Conclusion
This series is a great resource for those of us who are unable to replicate all the markings on a panel, all in one easy package. They are certainly a neat and innovative idea from the masters of aftermarket.
Review sample courtesy of

Halberstadt Cl.II (Early)
1:32 Wingnut Wings (32049)
Announced a couple of months ago, Wingnut Wings have now released two boxings of the Halberstadt CL.II, in ‘Early’ and ‘Late’ versions. Designed in 1917as two seat escort fighter and ground attack machine, the CL.II served from July 1917 until the end of the war in November 1918. Of all wood construction, the CL.II was smaller than existing two seaters (‘C’ types) and lighter (the ‘L’ part of its designation). Consequently is had a good rate of climb, top speed, and manoeuvrability, with excellent communication possible between the closely located pilot and gunner. It proved to be popular with its crews and very effective in its designated roles. Some 700 were built by Halberstadt and a further 200 by Bayerische Flugzeug-Werke (BFW). They were often attached to specialised ‘Schutzstaffel’ Protection Squadrons, whose job was to fly escort to traditional two seat reconnaissance and artillery spotting aircraft. Following their transition to the ground attack and infantry support role, they were renamed ‘Schlaststaffel ‘ Battle Squadrons.
The Kit.
Presented in Wingnut Wings familiar silver edged box, the glorious Steve Anderson painting depicts the ‘flame’ decorated Schusta 26b machine (options C) over the lines, about to receive attention from an approaching Sopwith Camel. Lifting the lid reveals the plastic components on four large and one smaller sprue, with a further small one holding the clear parts. The decals fill two large A4 sized sheets covering all the individual markings for five options, with a full set of five colour lozenge in upper and lower colours. As always the ‘icing on the cake’ is the superb instruction booklet in full colour. This is more than just a set of construction drawings as it contains period photographs of CL.II’s, showing detailed close ups where these help to illustrate particular details. Further photographs show some of the actual aircraft offered as options.
The assembly drawings are beautifully clear, explain every step with clarity, and pointing out many of the variations that must be made for the particular aircraft chosen to build. One thing I always appreciate is the full colour sub assembly drawings, showing how the completed cockpit area should look. Not only does this remove any doubts, but it helps to plan the painting sequence for all the components.
Construction begins with the cockpit, filled with lovely details like the fuel tank upon which the pilots seat is affixed, the compass, the pressurising pump, wire reel etc, finished off with etched brass seat belts and numerous little placard decals. The Telefunken Type D wireless and amplifier set is a little gem that I expect most modellers will want to install. A small number of control wires run down the cockpit sides, and can be replicated with the rigging material of your choice. The illustrations show exactly where they go.
The Daimler Mercedes D.III engine can be built as one of three versions, a standard 160hp D.III, a 180hp D.IIIa, or a 200hp D.IIIau. The instructions make it very clear which parts are appropriate for which version, and are backed up with contemporary black & white photos, and full colour CAD drawings of the finished engine.
A fixed LMG 08/15 Spandau machine gun is fitted on the port side in front of the pilot. Wingnut Wing provide a choice of two, one as solid plastic moulding, and the others with and etched brass slotted cooling jacket for higher detail. A similar choice is available for the observers LMG 14 Parabellum later on in the build.
With the engine and interior built up, the two fuselage halves are joined together. Various ‘rivets’ and tabs need to be shaved off the exterior surface, as they are only appropriate to the ‘late’ version Halberstadt. This is a simple task to do, and clearly pointed out in the instructions. With the fuselage halves together, construction moves on to adding the lower wings and tailplanes, and that very distinctive gun ring over the observers cockpit.
Very early machines (Options B & D) had a smaller rudder than later ones, and although the difference is subtle Wingnut Wings supply both. All the parts for the 'Early' version are on sprue 'F'.
One little detail that I particularly like about German aircraft of this period is that several of them had a compass mounted out on the port wing, away from magnetic interference. This Halberstadt is one of them, and it makes an interesting and eye catching detail on the finished model, particularly as the decal for it is a little masterpiece that is fully readable under a magnifying glass. Struts and engine cowlings (complete with etched brass flash guard for scale thickness) are fitted next, in preparation for the multi-part upper wing being fitted. This comprises of upper and lower center sections halves, solid outer panels, and separate ailerons. The radiator detail is moulded into the center section parts, with lovely sharp definition.
The fuel tank even gets a clear plastic sighting tube to fit on its top surface.
The wings themselves have rib and delicate fabric ‘sag’ detail, with ultra fine trailing edges.
No doubt the top wing will fit on flawlessly with everything lining up to perfection. One thing I learned early on is not to use cyano on the struts, but slower setting glue such as Revell Contacta. This gives you time to pop all struts fully into their sockets and check that everything is lining up as it should. Next up is the undercarriage, with the option of faired and unfaired axles. (I always use fine fishing line to rig the legs, and it is amazing how much strength this gives them, just like on the real thing). The kit supplies Neindorf, Garuda, and Axial propellers, with the instructions pointing out which one goes with each option. All are impressive mouldings with superb hub detail moulded in, and unlike many other manufacturers, there are no sink marks on the blade roots. The build is completed by fitting either an LMG 14 or LMG 14/17 machine gun for the observer, plus a choice of flare racks and cartridges to locate around the rear cockpit. There is even a choice of flare pistols to put inside. The rigging is at moderate level, as this is a single bay biplane. There are no double wires or awkward runs, so it should not present any difficulties using your preferred method of elastic line, fishing line, stretched sprue etc.
Options.
A. Halberstadt CL.II 5702/17 “3 Martha & Else”, Max Niemann & Rudolf Kolodzicj, Royal Prussian Schlasta 21, October 1918.
B. Halberstadt CL.II “4 Rosi” Royal Bavaraian Schusta 23b, Early 1918.
C. Halberstadt CL.II “4” Royal Bavaraian Schusta 26b, Early 1917.
D. Halberstadt CL.II “1”, Fridolin Redenbach, Royal Bavaraian Schusta 27b, September 1917.
E. Halberstadt CL.II “4 Dora”, Royal Bavaraian Schusta 27b, March 1918.
Decals.
Decals are printed by Cartograf, and are of the usual faultless quality. Everything is in perfect register with minimal carrier film and good colours. Two A4 sized sheets are provided, with the first covering all the different markings and detail items. It is always the little placards and instrument dials that impress me most, they are such perfect little miniatures and really add so much to the finished model. The ‘flame’ section for option C is wisely provided as the ‘fingers’ only, as it will be necessary to paint the forward section of the fuselage due to the compound curves.
The second sheet contains a set of ‘upper’ and’ lower’ 5 colour lozenge in ‘cookie cutter’ format. This is a very helpful idea as the fabric on the CL.II was applied at 45 degrees, which would be a little awkward to do with strips of decal. Pay attention to the instructions, because only option E had the standard upper and lower lozenge fabric applied. C,D, and B had the ‘lower’ lozenge applied on the upper surfaces, with the lowers covered in bleached linen. Option A had yellow painted wings, but this would have been over the standard lozenge as per option E. Whether you want to do this or just omit the lozenge and go straight for yellow paint is your choice, but all of this is shown in the instructions.
Halberstadt had an unusual method of painting the CL.II’s fuselage. Patches of greens, brown yellow and blue were covered with a ‘stipple’ effect. Wingnut Wings helpfully have a guide on their website showing how to achieve this with an airbrush set to low pressure. Both the ‘Early’ and ‘Late’ versions of this kit have an option in them that does not have this stipple finish, should you want to avoid it.
Conclusion.
Without a doubt, another masterpiece from Wingnut Wings. It has everything we have come to expect from them, attractive box art and packaging, flawless mouldings, superb decals, and instructions that are more like a detailed reference manual. This is a very good looking aeroplane with lots of interesting marking options. I wouldn’t be at all surprised to learn that it quickly becomes one of their best sellers.
Very Highly recommended
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Review sample courtesy of

I-16 Type 29
ICM 1:32
Design work on the I-16 began during the summer of 1932 at the Central Aero and Hydrodynamic Institute. When the tiny I-16 flew for the first time in December 1933, it was far ahead of any other fighter design in the world, featuring retractable landing gear, a cantilever wing and variable pitch propeller. Although not among the best remembered aircraft of the thirties, it was nevertheless a very able and rugged machine and featured prominently in the events of the time.
When the Spanish Civil War broke out, almost 500 were put into service with the Republicans. The outstanding manoeuvrability, firepower and rate of climb, surprised the enemy leading to the opposition nickname of Rata (Rat) and the friendly name Mosca (Fly). Equipped with the Soviet 20 mm cannon it was the most powerful aircraft weapon in front line service with any nation on the eve of World War II. It had a very high rate of fire and was extremely reliable. Another batch of I-16s was purchased by China to fight the Japanese, again surprising the other side with excellent performance.
When it first appeared, the I-16 Ishak (Little Donkey) was powered by a radial engine which developed a modest 450 hp. Even with this it achieved a creditable 376 km/h (234 mph) and, as the world's first single-seat fighter to have low monoplane wings, an enclosed cockpit (on some versions) and a retractable undercarriage. It was immediately put into mass production alongside the Polikarpov I-15 biplane fighter. Development led eventually to one version of the I-16 reaching over 520km/h (325 mph), with an engine of about two-and-a-half times the original power.
At this point the I-16 might well have faded into obscurity, if not for the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in July 1936. This war drew support from all over the world. The Nationalists, supported mainly by German and Italian forces, were the better equipped. Britain, France, the United States, the Netherlands, Czechoslovakia and Turkey all sent an assortment of aircraft to the Republican forces, directly or indirectly. But by far the major supporter of the Republicans was the Soviet Union, which supplied 1,409 of the 1947 aircraft contributed by other countries. 475 of these aircraft were Polikarpov I-16s.
They first entered combat in Spain in November 1936. Flown in many cases by Soviet pilots, they proved more than a match for German He 51 fighters and Arado Ar68, but met their equals in the Italian C.R.32 biplanes and were overpowered by Messerschmitt Bf 109s. From March 1937, all remaining I-16s were concentrated into Fighter Group 31, and this was by far the most successful of all Soviet-equipped units.
Meanwhile, I-16s were fighting also in China, and in 1939 were operated against the Japanese in Mongolia. Their final fling came during the early part of the Second World War, but by then they were overshadowed by more advanced foreign types. Suffering the brunt of the German invasion, those remaining were replaced by more modern fighters in 1942-1943.
The Type 29 differed from the earlier Type 28 by having two synchronized ShKAS in the nose and a single 12.7 mm (0.50 in) UBS in the bottom of the fuselage; it had no guns in wings which were reserved for ground attack weapons. Three rocket racks were mounted in each wing. Additionally, starting in 1941, the external fuel tank hardpoint was changed so that it became multipurpose: it could carry the new type of drop tank, PLBG-100, or a FAB-100 bomb. Wartime photographs from the summer of 1941 show two configurations: one with 6 RS-82 rockets and two FAB-100 bombs and another with four RS-132 rockets
The Model
This is the third in ICM’s series of I-16’s, the previous releases being a Type 24 and a Type 28. As with the previous release there is a nice artist’s representation of the aircraft on the box top. Once you take the lid off the box and opened the inner lid, you will find four large sprues of grey styrene, one small clear sprue and a medium sized decal sheet. All the parts are superbly moulded, with no sign of flash or other imperfections and only a few noticeable moulding pips. There are a few swirl marks in the plastic, but nothing to worry about and will easily be covered when the kit is primed and painted. Since the aircraft was mostly wood there are very few panel lines, where fabric was used in the construction, the kit shows the underlying structure, but in a nicely restrained way. Is is interesting to note that this is not5 just a re-release of the Type 28 with added weapons. The wing sprue is completely new with the correct modifications/differences not only to the wings, but also the cowling front.
Construction begins with the wings and the two upper sections being attached to the single piece lower section, after which the port and starboard clear navigation lights are attached. Each aileron is moulded in top and bottom halves, which, once joined together are fitted in the desired poses, along with the lower underside of the nose.
The cockpit is assembled next, and is a very nicely detailed area. The rear bulkhead is fitted with the seat backrest and support, while the two piece rudder pedals are assembled. The pedals are fitted to the cockpit floor, along with the rear mounted battery box. The front and rear bulkheads are then glued into the left hand fuselage section along with some sidewall detail. The floor is then slide in through the front bulkhead opening and glued to the rear bulkhead. The two piece throttle is assembled and glued into position, and then the instrument panel, which is moulded in clear plastic is fitted with the instrument decal. The rest of the cockpit is then detailed with the oxygen bottle instrument panel, joystick, a couple of handles, and seat. On the opposite side wall the undercarriage handle and a couple of instrument clusters are attached.
The firewall is fitted with the two piece oil tank and two gun troughs, before being fitted to one half of the fuselage. The two piece rudder and three piece elevators are then assembled, as is the two piece upper nose section. The fuselage halves are then joined, and the rudder, horizontal tailplanes and upper nose section attached, as are the two door panels. The fuselage and wing assembly are then glued together.
The engine bearers and attached to the engine mounting ring, followed by gearbox case and intake manifold, the two halves that make up the cylinders, each with exquisite fin detail, are joined together, then fitted with the piston rods and individual exhaust pipes, before the gearbox assembly is fitted to the rear. The completed engine is then attached to the fuselage. The engine is cowled with three optionally fitted panels, plus the three piece nose cowl, with optionally positioned vents. The two machine guns fitted to the upper nose are then slid into their associated troughs, followed by the gunsight and windscreen.
The build is finished off with the assembly of the two main undercarriage units and the various weapons, including two piece drop tanks and two piece rockets on separate single piece rails.. Each undercarriage unit is made up of a two piece wheel, single piece main leg, complete with actuator, two outer doors, with separate hinged lower section, there is a second support rod fitted with another door which is glued to the leg and rear mounting point in the wing. The tail wheel is then attached, as is the tail cone and rear light, the drop tanks and rockets, side mounted venturi style pitot, aerial mast and what looks like an aerial unit, aft of the cockpit.
Decals
The decal sheet is printed by ICM themselves. The decals are quite glossy, well printed, in register and nicely opaque, particularly useful for the large white arrow. There are four decal options with this release, they are:-
I-16 Type 29, Red 75 of the 4th Guard Fighter Regiment of the Baltic Fleet Aviation, Winter – Spring 1942 in white over light blue camouflage
I-16 Type 29, White 12 of the 4th Guard Fighter Regiment of the Baltic Fleet Aviation, Winter – Spring 1943 in dark green over light blue camouflage.
I-16 Type 29, White 75 of the 71st Fighter Regiment, Autumn 1941 in dark green and black over light blue camouflage.
I-16 Type 29, White 13 of the 158th Fighter Regiment of the Northern Fleet Aviation, Pskov Region, July 1941 in dark green and black over light blue camouflage.
Conclusion
I really like the I-16, there’s something about the old I-16, no matter which type. Whether it’s the cute little plane, or the plucky little fighter going up against the odds, with only the skills of the Soviet pilots keeping the aircraft, which was quite difficult to fly and fight with, in the air. Even though it is really very nice and will build up into a great looking model there is plenty of provision for the super detailers amongst us to really go to town on the interior.
Review sample courtesy of

Avro Lancaster Instrument Panel Upgrade Airscale 1:32
In preparation for the release of the huge HK Models Lancaster, we have Airscale providing a replacement instrument panel, which includes each individual panel, levers and shrouds for the throttle quadrant and a set of decals, and knowing Peter's penchant for detail, highly accurate. There are also two small sheets of acetate with exceptional optical quality﻿.
The etched steel parts should be painted and finished off to the modellers taste before assembly can begin. For the main instrument panel, engineers panel, navigators and circuit breaker panel the clear acetate sheets should be cut to size, using the panels as a template, the gluing the acetate to the rear of he panel followed by the decal, ensuring the instruments align with the positions on the front of the panel, the etched backing plate is then glued into position completing the assembly. Some of the instrument decals are for the front face of the panels such as the switch covers.
For the throttle quadrant, you will need to make slots in the kit part before adding the various levers. The shrouds should be removed from the sheet separately in order to fit the correct to the correct position on the quadrant as there are left and right shrouds in addition to the main shroud for the throttle levers.
Conclusion
Peter's decal panels and Photo-Etched (PE) instrument bezels have rapidly gained a reputation for quality within our hobby, and Fantasy Printshop have done another fine job of printing his work. The big Lancaster will be a labour of love with as much detail as possible by most modellers who buy it and what better place to start than the cockpit. When I talked to Peter at Telford, he assured me this set will also fit the newly announced 1:32 Lancaster from Wingnut Wings.
Review sample courtesy of Peter at

Dassault Mirage IIIE/RD/O
Revell 1:32
History
While the initial Mirage IIIC model was heading towards quantity production, Dassault promoted a long-range, all-weather air defense/strike fighter (multirole) variant of the design as the "Mirage IIIE". The prototype first flew on April 1st, 1961 and included a lengthened fuselage with increased avionics and fuel, a Marconi navigation radar, Radar Warning Receiver (RWR) and Cyrano II series air-ground radar. The Mirage IIIE was outfitted with the SNECMA Atar 09C series afterburning turbojet engine and a total of three prototypes furthered the endeavor prior to production. After adoption by the French Air Force, the IIIE was also licensed-produced in the countries of Australia, known as the Mirage IIIO(A), and Switzerland while fielded by the forces of Argentina, Brazil, Lebanon, Pakistan, South Africa, Spain and Venezuela under various export designations. French Air Force Mirage IIIE models were cleared for nuclear ordnance.
As with other interceptor aircraft of the period, a dedicated reconnaissance variant soon emerged as the "Mirage IIIR". This variant offered the ground attack frames of the Mirage IIIE models with the avionics suite of the Mirage IIIC interceptor. They lacked radar under the nose cone and housed multiple cameras for photo-reconnaissance sorties instead. The Mirage IIIR was then improved through the "Mirage IIIRD" upgrade. Reconnaissance types were adopted outside of France by the forces of Israel, Pakistan, South Africa and Switzerland.
The Model
Originally released in 2016 by Italeri, Revell have now re-boxed the kit with new decals. The kit comes in a top opening box which is still incredibly flimsy, which showed by the fact that the review samples windscreen had been badly cracked. Inside there are six large sprues of grey styrene, one of clear and a large, colourful decal sheet. The moulding of the parts looks to very nice and fine, with no flash or other imperfections. Whilst quite detailed out of the box, there is plenty of room for extra, should the modeller wish.
Construction begins with the assembly of the nine piece ejection seat with a choice of ejection handles on the head box. Although nice, the kit only comes with decal seatbelts, etched steal/brass or cloth would be much better, so you will have to resort to aftermarket items. The single piece cockpit tub is fitted out with a lower front bulkhead, alternative two piece instrument panels, depending on whether you are building the E/O or RD versions, joystick, and three piece coaming with optional head-up display. The upper rear bulkhead and sidewalls are then attached to the tub, followed by the three piece nose wheel bay, which is attached to the rear of the cockpit tub. The cockpit/bay assembly is then glued to the lower fuselage, which will also need some holes drilled depending on which version you are building. The main wheel bays are each made up from four parts, which are then glued into the lower fuselage.
The full length intakes are each made from two halves, but in such a way that there shouldn’t be any seams to worry about. The rear sections of the intakes where they join is a single piece, which when all assembled allows the intakes to be fitted to a bulkhead which is then glued into one half of the upper fuselage. Strangely enough, the instructions then tell you to build the engine at this point, which is a very nice six piece assembly, as a standalone model itself, but could have been left till the end where its transport stand is also assembled. The fin is then assembled and again, the modeller has to drill out holes depending on the version they are building. The fuselage halves are then joined together, sandwiching the intakes in-between, after which the fin assembly is glued into place. Each wing, also requiring holes to be drilled out depending on version are each made up from upper and lower halves, but before joining them together the modeller has to fit the upper and lower airbrakes, outer main gear bays and main gear oleos. Clear lenses for the navigation lights are then attached.
If you’re building the RD reconnaissance version then the camera nose needs to be assembled. Each of the four cameras are made from three parts including clear lenses. The rear nose bulkhead is then fitted with the camera platform onto which the cameras are then fitted. The lower camera bay hatch is fitted with clear ports, after which the nose halves are glued together with the bay in-between and a fifth camera in the extreme nose and the final clear parts to cover the ports. The bay hatch can either be posed in the open or closed position with support rams to hold it open should the modeller wish it. The upper and lower fuselage sections are glued together, followed by the fitting of the wing assemblies, intakes and either the RD or E/O nose sections having fitted 20g of nose weight just forward of the cockpit first. Now the rather confusing bit in the instructions, which show the engine assembly being slid into the exhaust orifice before the exhaust fairings and nozzle sections, yet in another diagram it shows the nozzle and fairing being fitted without the engine. So, it looks like you can either engine on the display stand or in the aircraft, yet there are no other details for the interior of the fuselage should you want to display it out.
The wings are fitted with half of the flap and aileron actuator fairings, whilst the other half is fitted to the control surfaces. The main undercarriage assemblies are then completed with the addition of scissor links, actuators, outer doors and two piece wheels. The inner doors are fitted with separate hinges before being glued into place. The nose wheel is made up from thirteen parts not including the bay doors and once assembled is glued into position. In front of the nose wheel bay there is a bulged panel, which looks like a doppler panel, and depending on the version the modeller is building there is an option of two types. The build of the aircraft is completed by the fitting of the windscreen, canopy, which can be posed open or closed, various aerials, pitot probe and a nicely produced access ladder.
The optional engine stand is then assembled from thirty six parts and will look great in a diorama setting. If you are building the E/O strike version then the kit comes with a wide selection of weapons to hang of the aircraft. These include the Matra R530 missile, 500 l, 1300l and 1700l drop tanks, JL 100R Rocket pods/fuel tanks, R550 Magic missiles, AIM-9B missiles, Matra AS37 Martel missiles, Barax pod, Barracuda pod and Phimat pods
Decals
The decals come on a large sheet and provide options for three aircraft. The decals look very nice, being in register, good colour density but with quite a matt/satin finish. Some of the decals are quite large and will probably need some softening and setting solutions to bed down correctly. The sheet also contains a full set of stencils and warning symbols for both the aircraft and the ordinance. The options are:-
Mirage IIIE 3-XT “50 Years EC 3/3 Ardennes” Armee De L’air, BA133, Nancy-Ochey, 1993
Mirage IIIRD 33-TI ER 3/33 Moselle, Armee De L’air, BA124, Strasbourg-Entzheim, 1987
Mirage III0, A3-49, 3 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force, Butterworth AB, Malaysia, 1983
Conclusion
I never got to see the Italeri kit when it was first released, so it’s nice of Revell to re-box it. The kit does look very nice and will certainly look stunning in any collection, just a shame that you have to use the separate engine either on the stand or in the aircraft. It would have been nice to have a simpler tube just to fit in the aircraft. Not really knowing the subject I can only go by those who have reviewed the Italeri kit when it comes to accuracy and from what I’ve read it does measure up well with the real aircraft.
Revell model kits are available from all good toy and model retailers. For further information visit

Pre- Painted Instrument panels
Eduard LOOK 1:32
Continuing their line of LOOK series of instrument panels, Eduard have released two more sets. These are for the Tamiya Spitfire Mk.IX Early, and Hasegawa Fw 190A-5, both in 1:32 scale. As with the previously released sets, the modeller is provided with the main panel, side panels and centre panels as required. Each set also includes a sheet of etched steel for the seat belts. The panels have all the correct markings and placards painted on them and the faces of each instrument is glazed, making them look very realistic, particularly with a bit of weathering to get away from that newly built look.
Spitfire Mk.IX
Fw 190A-5
Conclusion
This new series is a great resource for those of us who are unable to replicate all the markings on a panel, all in one easy package. They are certainly a great and innovative idea from the masters of aftermarket.
Review sample courtesy of

Hawker Tempest Mk.VI detail sets
Eduard 1:32
Eduard appear to be covering all bases with their aftermarket detail sets for the Special Hobby 1:32 Hawker Tempest Mk.VI. First, you have the wonderful resin cockpit and machine gun bay, and now they have released four etched sets and a set of masks. The etched parts are for the interior, seatbelts, flaps and a smaller zoom set for the cockpit. At least the modeller can’t say they don’t have a choice of what to use on his model, or how much they want to add.
Interior Set (32926)
This set contains two sheets of PE, one of which is nickel-plated and pre-painted, the other in bare brass. It improves on the kit detail in the cockpit by adding items to the sidewalls; replacing chunky styrene details on the turtle-deck behind the pilot; adding sill details to the cockpit sides; detailed new side consoles with throttles, levers and switches; replacement foot pedals for the rudder; a complete re-skin of the instrument panel with multi-layered pre-painted PE plus a more detailed compass mount A little dab of aqua clear will give them the appearance of glass fronts; a complete new pilot seat with masses of extra detail, and using the kit mounting brackets, and finally a few small details on the rear wheel yoke.﻿ The sheet also contains the myriad of coloured levers, knobs, side consoles, new throttle quadrant, switch clusters, trim wheel, and rudder pedal plates,.
Flap Set (32423).
The kit's flaps are moulded into the wing, so if you wanted to show them dropped, you'll need this set, which is surprisingly simple once you get past the preparation stage. You first need to remove the flaps from the underside of the wing, then the narrow section that's visible in the upper wing, taking care to thin the very edge of the remainder, which is shown in a scrap diagram for your ease. The flap bays are made up from one main part each, with a number of hinge-guides along their length, and a small wedge-shaped part just past half span. The flaps are made up using one main part which has all the tapering ribs attached, each one having a small fold at the base before twisting them round to glue them. You need to slide a piece of 1.6mm styrene (or brass) rod through the loops in the forward end, and add a small number of ancillary parts for inner and outer flap sections, and once done they are glued against the hinge-guides installed in the bay earlier.
Interior Zoom Set (33191)
This zoom set contains only the above pre-painted sheet and allows the modeller to build a well detailed cockpit without the hassle of getting bogged down with detail that might otherwise be deemed superfluous.
Seatbelts (33192)
This small single sheet set contains a complete and comprehensive set of seat belts, buckles and clasps. The belts look like they will be rather fiddly to assemble, but will look great when fitted. The seat belts are pre-painted so no need for some fiddly painting, just a slightly darker wash to tone them down a bit.
Masks (JX215)
Supplied on a sheet of yellow kabuki tape, these pre-cut masks supply you with a full set of masks for the canopy, with compound curved handled by using frame hugging masks, while the highly curved gaps are in-filled with either liquid mask or off-cuts from the background tape. In addition you get a number of masks for the various light lenses, and a set of hub masks for the wheels, allowing you to cut the demarcation perfectly with little effort.
Conclusion
There’s never a kit release without Eduard set of two being designed for it as they are so prolific. Whilst not as comprehensive as some of the previous releases, but then they have released some resin items as well, they will add that extra level of detail sought by some modellers. The flap set looks to be particularly good and really will make the model stand out from the crowd. It is still disappointing that they chose to release the seatbelt set separate from what is basically an interior set, but I guess it gives modeller more choice on how much they want to add. The instructions aren’t the clearest, so care will need to be taken when adding the parts. The masks are always useful though. Highly recommended.
Review sample courtesy of

Focke Wulf 190A-8 Detail Sets
1:32 Brassin
Propeller - (632-124) Although the general feeling is that the Revell 1:32 Focke Wulf 190A-8 is pretty well detailed straight from the box, it seems Eduards intent to replace almost every bit of detail other than the main fuselage and wing components. With this in mind they have just released a replacement propeller set and upper machine gun set. The propeller set comes in the hard blister pack that Eduard/Brassin parts are usually found. On opening there is a small etched template under a card backing, three dark grey resin propeller blades and four light grey resin parts, protected by foam inserts. The propeller boss and cooling fan need to be carefully removed from their moulding blocks and cleaned. The tangs on the brass template are then folded to 90 degrees which are slipped over the boss back plate so that the shaft hole can be accurately drilled out. The set includes a jig so that the propeller blades can be fitted to the boss at the correct angle. The spinner also needs to be carefully removed from its moulding block, and for some strange reason Eduard have made this so that the pour stubs are on the out surface of the spinner. This makes for quite a bit of careful sanding and polishing to get a really good smooth surface. With the blades attached to the boss, the spinner can be added along with the cooling fan and the whole assembly slipped onto the kits propeller shaft.
MG-131 mount – (632-122). Along with the propeller, Eduard have also released a new set to replace the gun bay that sits in front of the cockpit on the upper nose. As with the set above, this set comes in a blister pack with Etched and resin parts. The small etch sheet contains a new bulkhead skin, with additional stringers, fittings and centrally mounted webs. To this the two resin ammunition containers are fitted, followed by the resin upper decking which onto which the two MG-131 machine guns are fitted. The resin ammunition guides are then glued into position, as are the spent cartridge chutes. There is a PE frame that is fitted to the lower section of the windscreen, plus six PE latches, three per side of the fuselage, for the resin hinged panel which naturally would be posed open to show off all the lovely details
Conclusion
Although the new Revell kit has superb detail straight out of the box some modellers are just not content. The prop is a very nice, but slightly marred by the way the spinner has been moulded, but hey, this is modelling, right? once assembled the propeller will look superb. The gun deck set is also very well moulded and designed, but be aware that one of the gun barrels in the review
Review sample courtesy of

AN/AAQ-28(V) Litening
1:32 Brassin
(632-126) – LITENING is an integrated targeting pod that mounts externally to the aircraft. The targeting pod contains a high-resolution, forward-looking infrared (FLIR) sensor that displays an infrared image of the target to the aircrew; it has a wide field of view search capability and a narrow field of view acquisition/targeting capability of battlefield-sized targets. The pod also contains a CCD camera used to obtain target imagery in the visible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. An on-gimbal inertial navigation sensor establishes line-of-sight and automatic boresighting capability.
The pod is equipped with a laser designator for precise delivery of laser-guided munitions. A laser rangefinder provides information for various avionics systems, for example, navigation updates, weapon deliveries and target updates. The targeting pod includes an automatic target tracker to provide fully automatic stabilized target tracking at altitudes, airspeeds and slant ranges consistent with tactical weapon delivery manoeuvres. These features simplify the functions of target detection and recognition, and permit attack of targets with precision-guided weapons on a single pass.
The single sniper pod comes in the blister style pack normally used for the smaller items, well protected by foam pads inside. It is really well detailed, as we have come to expect from Eduard and the parts are very neatly moulded. The pod comes in two grey resin parts, a small etched brass fret and decal sheet.
Once the two resin parts have been removed from the moulding blocks and cleaned up, assembly begins with the fitting of the brass end piece to the main body of the pod. The seeker head is the glued to the front of the main body, at whatever position you want, although it can actually be just push fitted allowing it to be moved as and when the modeller wants. The whole pod is then painted in overall grey and the decals added.
Conclusion
This is another very useful piece of kit to add to your 1:32 aircraft. They are, or have been fitted to so many types now; everything from the F-16 via the A-10 to the Harrier GR-7/9 so could be of interest to a whole host of modellers.
Review sample courtesy of

Pre- Painted Instrument panels
Eduard LOOK 1:32
The first release of this new series was for the Revell P-51 Mustang (reviewed here). Eduard have now released three more sets of these innovative panels. These are for the Tamiya P-51D, and D-5 and the Tamiya F4U-1A Corsair. As with the first set, the modeller is provided with the main panel, side panels and centre panels if required. Each set also includes a sheet of etched steel for the seat belts. The panels have all the correct markings and placards painted on them and the faces of each instrument is glazed, making them look very realistic, particularly with a bit of weathering to get away from that newly built look.
Tamiya F4U-A Corsair
Tamiya P-51D-5
Tamiya P-51D
Conclusion
This new series is a great resource for those of us who are unable to replicate all the markings on a panel, all in one easy package. My only concern is if a model was to be put into a competition without the modeller declaring they have used a LOOK set, as, to me, it’s a form of cheating still stands though.
Review sample courtesy of

Soviet Pilots (1939 – 1942)
ICM1:32
ICM have a great selection of figures in their catalogue, the latest set is of is for Soviet Pilots, consisting of two pilots and a member of the operations staff. One pilot is in a sitting position, just right to pose in your lovely I-16 or I-153. The other pilot is standing and should be posed with the third figure as it looks like he’s giving the pilot a briefing before a mission.
Each figure is made up from separate legs/lower torso, upper torso, arms and head; the standing pilot also has a two piece helmet. Then there is a selection of map and ammunition pouches, holsters, and parachutes and goggles. The parachute packs could do with some better webbing as the two parts provided for the standing pilot don’t look that realistic.
Conclusion
As usual ICM brings us something a little different, and it’s nice to see some 1:32 scale figures for use with their lovely aircraft kits.
Review sample courtesy of

Good evening everyone,
I thought it might be worth shifting my attempt at the RAF Centenary Groupbuild to the WIP area, seeing as I never had chance of meeting the deadline! (The build can be found by clicking here)
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So,
To bring everyone up to speed:
-I plan to build a representation of the Panavia Tornado ZA326 in its iconic raspberry ripple colours. I'll be using the 1:32 Tornado GR1 kit from Revell and an abundance of plasticard, to model her with a plethora of panels open (nose, side electronics bays, ground equipment connection points, the spine, and maybe even an open engine bay!)
Here are a few select images which visually describe the process so far:
(Note that the paintwork on bits and bobs has been tidied up since these images were taken)
What's the plan of action going forward, then?
-Nose electronics bay
-Nose hinge and detailing
-Cockpit wiring
-Fuselage panels and internal gubbins
-Fuselage rescribing (+rivets, should they be required)
-Engine bay (there might be a bit of a surprise in that regard, stay tuned!)
-Wings
-Other (landing gear, etc)
It will be a slow (I've got a summer placement in a research lab at my university) but hopefully steady project.
As for references that I'll be using:
The good General's own Tornado build
The Tornado SIG
The ZA326 group's Flickr
Stay tuned for more!
Best wishes,
Sam